Protecting hood for switch terminals



Jan". 12, 1932. R. LEWIS PROTECTING HOOD FOR SWITCH TERMINALS Filed Jan. 4. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Even for lzma 1?. Z, ewzls' 4 v 5y fills flifarzuys,

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T iii) Patented Jan. 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LIMA a. LEwIaor "PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA PROTECTING HOOD FOB SWITCH TERMINALS I Application filed January 4, 1930." Serial N0. 418,633.

. The present invention relates to improvements in electric switches and, particularly, refers to means for protecting the switch terminals of electric switches for outdoor use on electrical power transmission lines and the like. i 1 I I Theprincipal' object of the invention is to provide means for; shielding the fixed contacts of the switch which cooperate with the movable switch blade so as to prevent the accumulation of ice, snow and other toreign substances thereon and, consequently, interference with the operation of the switch, such means entirely enclosing said contacts when the switchis not in circuit-closing position.

Another object of the inventionis to provide ahood or housing by whichthe abovementioned parts are shielded and whichcomprises afixed and amovable section, the movable section giving ready access to the interior when the switch blade is actuated to make contact with said parts, p I

A further object of the invention is to provide a housing for such parts adapted to be opened by the movable switch blade when the latter is operated to close the circuit and also when the switch blade is disengaged from the switch contact and at othertimes to form a hood which completely guards'the contacts against exposure to the weather. I Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: i p 1 I Fig. l is a plan view of a hood for a switch on ahigh-voltage line made in accordance with my invention V i I Rig. 2 is a front-elevation thereof; Fig. .3 is a left end elevation;

. Fig. 4is a sectional vlew takenon the line 44; of Fig. 2, showingthe switch blade in the act of opening the hood; and

Fig. 5'is a view similarto Fig. 4 with the end of the switch blade in its final engaging position and the hood closed.

Referring to the, drawings, numeral 1 indicates the base of the switch structure On the base is a fixed section 2 of a hood and a movable section 3 of the same into which the fixed section 2 telescopes'to some extent at thetop and ends when the hood is completely closed. The two sections 2 and 3 have the form shown and the movable section 3 swings on' a pivot rod 4 mounted in perforated lugs or bearings 5 attached to, the base 1. Normally, the sections 2 and3 are held in closed. position with the edges of thesectionv 3 overlapping thoseof section 2 by a spring'6 inside thefhood which extends between the sections and. is secured toeach'of the, sections so that it normally tends to draw them together. Within the hood are fixed contact members 7 which are adapted to be engaged by a movable switch memberS. The member 8 may be of considerable length and the end remote from that, which entersthe hood and engages the contact members 7, may be pivoted (not shown) so that the member may be swung up'and down on the pivot as an axis, When this movablevmember is dropped, the end thereof pushesthe section 3 away from the section'2 against the tension of the spring 6 and is inserted between the two contact members 7 to make contact therewith, as indicated in Figs and 5. a

The edge of one end of the section 2 comprises ashoulder 9 positioned above the base 1, and from theshoulder the edge is substantially vertical to the top, as indicated at 10 in the present, instance. The edgesof the section 3 are vertical at both ends, as indicated at 11 but bent outat 12 so that the top of section 3- is extended to overlap thetop of the c section 2 when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. The lower portion 11 of the ed e of one end of the section '3 is spaced p the adjacent end ofthe section 2 when the hood is closed-so as to leave an elongated vertical apert'ure13 in one end of thehood of approximately the same area as the crosssection ofthe end oi the switch .blade 8. WVhen the switch blade 8 projects into, the hood, it will fill approximately the whole area of the aperture 13. The opposite end of the hood is notprovided with anaperture because the edge of the section 2 has no shoulder, as shown in broken lines in Fig.2. The section 2 carries at one end thereofxa fixed some distance from the edge 10 of ioo element or projection 14 which extends upwardly to cooperate with a similar projection or element 15 on the section The projection 14 is bent to extend out at its upper end from the hood so that the two elements 14 and 15 are not in the same plane but may overlap. to some extentwhen the hood is closed, as indicated in Figs; 2', 3 and 5. The adjacent edges of the projections 14 and 15 are diagonally inclined at the top. Thus, when the switch blade 8 is operated on its pivot and lowered to engage the contact members 7, it first engages the inclined edges 16 and 17 of the projections 14 and 15'. and forces these projections and, consequently,the sections 2 and 3' apart, as shown in Fig.4, against the tension of the spring 6. As the end of the blades drops into-the hood, it-engagesthe contact members 7 and the spring 6 draws the sections 2 and 3'together again to close the hood. 'Inside the hood is a closure member 18 in the form of a rectangular plate in the present instance,suspended from one end to swing freely on a: pivot 19' on the inner surface of the end of the section 3 to close the aperture 1 3 when the movable switch'blade 8 is out of engagement with. the contact mem here 7 and when the sections 2' and 3 are in closed relation. Therefore, even when the switch is not in the circuit-closing position, the aperture 13; is closed and no sleet or snow or ice'can penetrate the hood and lodge upon the contact members 7.

Within the hood, the base 1 carries a pair of perforated lugs 20. to receive bolts 21 on which are mounted: a pair of resilient arms 22 which are perforated to receive a bolt 23 havi'nga head and nuts to prevent these arms from moving away from each other except to the required'extent.

The bolt 23.is above the bolts 21 and the nuts on the bolts 23 may be set as required to adjust the tension of the resilient arms 22 againstthe members 7. The contact members 7 are positioned between these arms and are perforated at their lower ends. so that the bolt 23 may pass therethrougljn Each of the members 7 has a boss 24 thereon With a reduced projection 25 adapted to,- passthrough openings in the upper, ends of the resilient arms 22. Thus, when the end of the switch blade 8 drops between the members 7', the members can separate to-some extent, the arms 22 then yielding to allow the members 7 to move away from each other, the lower ends thereof sliding on the bolt 23. This arrangement provides an ehicient, electrical contact between the switch blade 8 and the fixed contact members 7 and is claimed in a co-pendiing application ofWTillian-rR. Hutti-nger, Serial No. 340,280,.filed August 11,1928.

The base 1 may be provided with a termii'ia-l-reeeiving socket 2.61 to receive a conductor 2,7... The ends. ofthe rod 4 may be perforated to receive cotter pins 28 to hold the rod in place. Screws 29 are provided to hold the fixed section 2 rigidlyupon the base 1. This type of hood is intended for high-voltage switches for outdoor usein localities where cold and inclement weather prevails during certain seasons of the year and the hood, as described, will effectively protect the; contact members 7' againstclogging by ice, etc., be-

cause it shields the members against the effects of exposure to. the atmosphere by comblade forces the movable section 3- away from V the section 2 so thatthe blade m-aypass therd between to engage the cont-actmembers 7, forcing these away from each other because of their slidingengagement at their lower ends on the bolt 23 and because-of the yielding ofthe upper ends of the resilient arms 22- which maintain the members 7 in eflicient contact with the blade 8. When the switch blade comes to rest on theshoulder '9, it fills the aperture 1 3 and the spring 6 pulls the sections 2 and 3 together. VV'hen the swi tch blade 8 is in the circuit-closing position, the closure member 18' cannot return to its ver tical position but will rest in an inclined position against the upper edge of the blade 8, as shown in Fig. 5. When the circuit is to be opened, the switch blade 8 is raised and strikes against an inclined edge 12a of the projection.15 adj'acent the edge 12 of the-section 3.. The section 3 is thus again forced awayf-rom the section 2and': after-the-bladeS has cleared the projections 14, and 15 the spring" 6. pulls back thesection 3- andmakes it overlap to. some extent the section 2iso that the closure member 18 may then swing i-n-to vertical position to closethe aperture 1 3*. The edge 12a preferably overlaps the edge-112 so that contact is made between thisedge; and the blade 8 when the blade is lifted, thus avoiding wear on the section?) of the hood.

Thus, it will be seen that the construction of the hood", though quite simple, is made very effective to shield the cont-act members. 7. The. switch blade 8 can easily engage the fixed contact member 7 and bedisengaged therefrom. The hood is closed at, all times whether theblade 8'is up or-down'. 'Any'snow or ice which may collect on the outside of the hood will be dislodged for the most'part by the blade, 81in its movements into or out of'the hood between the projections 14 and 1:5 and thus, the switch, can be maintained in good operating condition at all times.

comp-rising sections mounted to be relatively movable by one of the elements of said switch to give access to other elements of said switch, said sections being formed to provide an between said projections, switch contacts in" said hood to-befengaged b said blade, the

edges of one end of each 0 the two sections being spaced apart adjacent said shoulder over a portion of their length to provide an aperture to receive said switch blade, and a,

closuremember within said hood to close said aperture when the switch blade is out of the hood.

LIMA R. LEWIS.

aperture through which said first-named elee ment is adapted to extend, and means adapted to close said aperture when said element is disengaged from said other elements and withdrawn from said hood, thereby afic'ording a complete enclosure for said other elements.

2. A protecting hood for electric switches, comprising relatively movable sections, one

of which telescopes within the other, switch contacts within said hood, said sections overlapping each other and forming at one end an aperture therethrough for a switch blade to project into said hood and engage said contacts, and a pivoted closure member adapted to close said aperture when the switch blade is disengaged from said contacts and withdrawn from said hood thereby afi'ording a complete enclosure for said contacts.

3. A protective hood for enclosing switch contacts, comprising a fixed section and a pivotally-mounted movable section to engage said fixed section in telescopic relation, said sections overlapping each other to form at one end an aperture therethrough for a switch blade to project into said hood and engage said contacts, and a pivoted closure member co-acting with said movable section to close said aperture when the switch blade is disengaged from said contacts and withdrawn from said hood thereby affording a complete enclosure for said contacts. 7

4. A hood for enclosing switch contacts,

comprising a base, a fixed section on said base having a horizontal shoulder in the edge of one end thereof, a movable section on said base within which the fixed section telescopes, the ends of the movable section having edges with diagonal upper portions extending outward, a projection on said end of the fixed section and extending upward with anedge inclined away from the movable section, a projection on the movable section and extending upward with a diagonal edge overlapping the diagonal edge of one end of the movable section and having a diagonal edge extending in the reverse direction, the last-named diagonal edge intersecting with the diagonal edge of the first-mentioned projection, whereby they are forced apart to open the hood when the movable switch blade is inserted 

